In the study of leadership, there are many models and viewpoints that are present in our modern world. These leadership views and models have been shaped by various forces that have impacted the developers of those models. One such area of leadership studies is in the field of Christian leadership and the impact that Christian theology plays in the development of a Christian leadership model. In the study of Christian leadership, it is important to build a strong foundation of biblical Christian doctrine in order to have a proper starting point to work from. In an attempt to address the question of who God is, this essay will highlight the doctrines of God as creator and sustainer, the Trinity, and God’s immutability. While this essay will be no way a complete expose on the doctrines of God, these three doctrines covered are an important place to begin when seeking to gain understand God as revealed in scripture.
Doctrine of God as Creator and Sustainer
Drawing from scripture, God is revealed as both the creator of all things and the one who sustains all things. Everything that is both seen and unseen, is a direct result of God’s creative actions and His continued oversight over His creation. Genesis chapter 1 presents creation as an act of God’s own will and power. It outlines the creation of not only “heaven and the earth,” but also all life that exists within it. As the narrative unfolds, readers are presented to God’s power as He brings creation into existence.
Not only do readers see God directly acting to bring about all creation, but scripture also presents God as the one who sustains all of creation. Genesis 1:2 presents the “world” as existing in a form of chaos and that the ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים (Ruach Elohim) as hovering, fluttering, or brooding over the “waters” (Strong, 1995). It is in this chaos where the Spirit of God is shown as bringing order in which all creation will be sustained (Williams, 2014). Both Tertullian and Origen argued for the existence of a formless “pre-existent matter” that God created the world out of and currently sustains (McGrath, 2011). The image of Genesis 1:2 presents the Spirit as an active agent in creation and fundamental in the sustaining of creation. Not only does the Spirit of God give life, as witnessed in the creation of humanity (Genesis 2:7), but the Spirit also actively sustains life. While examining the creation narrative of scripture, it becomes evident that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is not just another tribal or national deity, but rather, He is the one who creates and sustains all creation (Wenham, 1987).
When moving forward in the narrative of scripture, it becomes evident that God is revealed as both the creator and the sustainer of all life. In Exodus 20, God confirms Himself as the creator of all things in His command to honor the Sabbath. In Job 38 God is revealed as the one who laid the “foundations of the earth” (vv. 4), established the seas (vv. 8-11), orders the sunset and the sunrise (vv. 12), controls the constellations in the night sky (vv. 31-32) and provides for the animals in His creation (vv. 39-41). Isaiah declares God is the creator of the heavens (42:5) and Jeremiah 32:17 states that God “hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm.” In John’s revelation of the eternal Christ (John 1), the author highlights, “All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.” After reading the New Testament, one will discover that only a few books, mainly the shorter epistles, are void of either quotations or allusions the God as creator (Mueller, 2004). It therefore becomes evident that the doctrine of God as creator and sustainer is a central theme of all scripture.
When analyzing God as creator and sustainer in the lens of Christian leadership, there are two points that should be considered. First, God is revealed as the ultimate example of pure leadership. Not only is He the creator of leadership, but He enacts it and sustains it. In creation God creates, sustains, provides, instructs, and oversees His creation. Second, leaders can find strength in leaning upon the leadership of God. As leaders are faced with the difficulties of leadership, strength can be gained in understanding that it is God who created all things and sustains all things. Therefore, if a leader acts according to God’s will and plan, God will ultimately oversee the success of the leader.
Doctrine of the Trinity
If one where to ask an individual versed in basic orthodox theological concepts about who God is, they would no doubt be introduced to the doctrine of the Trinity. While the word Trinity does not appear at all in scripture, orthodox Christian theology holds to a Trinitarian view of God. According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, the Trinity is defined as the doctrine which posits that God exists eternally as The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit (Treier & Elwell, 2017). It notes the doctrine of the Trinity as a scripturally backed doctrine foreshadowed in the Old Testament and reveled in the New Testament (Treier & Elwell, 2017). Due to the view of this doctrine having a solid biblical foundation, theologians generally hold to this view as being foundational to the Christian faith (Giles, 2004).
In his chapter on the nature of God, Daniel Akin argues that the doctrine of the Trinity is “the necessary theological framework for understanding the biblical account of Jesus as the true story of God” (Akin, 2014, p. 162). From this position, it becomes evident that one cannot fully understand the person of Christ outside of the doctrine of the Trinity. In his work Faith Seeking Understanding, Daniel Migliore states, “The Christian confession of God as triune is a summary description of the witness of Scripture to God’s unfathomable love incarnate in Jesus Christ and active by the power of the Spirit in the community of faith today” (Migliore, 2014, p.69). Therefore, if one seeks to understand the person, work, and mission of Christ within the church today, one needs to do so within the framework of the doctrine of the Trinity.
As a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith, the doctrine of the Trinity is important in the study of Christian leadership. The doctrine of the Trinity not only gives us insight into the mystery of God, but it also expresses unity in leadership. In the Trinity one witnesses a perichoretic movement of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. A perfected and pure unity which stands as an example for the church and for Christian leaders. While we cannot attain this level of unity in this finite life, it gives a model of leadership which unites individuals without “diminishing one another’s individuality (coinherence)” (Ruffner & Huizing, 2016, p. 45).
Doctrine of God’s Immutability
The third and final doctrine covered in this essay is the doctrine of God’s immutability. Merriam-Webster defines immutable as, “not capable of or susceptible to change” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). In this doctrinal position, God is understood as existing in complete and total perfection from eternity to eternity, without the possibility of ever changing (Treier & Elwell, 2017). This stands in contrast to finite humanity who lives in a state of constant change and transition. From day to day, people change in various aspects of their lives. However, due to His infinite nature, there is no change present or possible. Unlike humanity, God will never age, forget, or fail. In the words of Paul David Tripp, “God… has no past, present, or future. He exists in an eternal now. He is always what he is. He is what he has always been and will be what he forever has been” (Tripp, p. 87-88)
Understanding God’s immutability has dynamic impacts upon two areas of the Christian faith. First, understanding God as immutable in light of Trinitarian doctrine presents that God has always, eternally existed in Trinity and there has never been any change. This position helps to further undermine doctrines like Arianism which presents Christ as a created being who is neither coeternal nor consubstantial with the Father. Second, the doctrine of immutability provides assurance to the believer concerning the promises of God. Holding to God’s statement in Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord, I change not,” gives believers confidence that God will indeed do what He has said in His word. The promise of Salvation, Eternal life, and the immanent return of Christ are guaranteed because God, in His immutability, has promised them in His word. This also gives great assurance and hope to Christian leaders as they navigate the difficulties of leadership. Developing and/or following a Christian leadership model is in essence and act of faith. This act of faith is grounded in the Word of God and the promise that God will keep His word and honor those who walk according to it.
Conclusion
In closing out this essay, it is important to note that this is not a complete exposition on the doctrines of God nor does it even scratch the surface of who God is. However, these three doctrines are important in gaining some insight into who God is and each doctrine has its own unique impact on the understanding of Christian leadership. Knowing God as creator and sustainer, Triune, and as immutable will no doubt have an impact upon how an individual approaches the subject of Christian leadership. When developing a model of Christian leadership, these three doctrines will no doubt have a profound impact on the development and implementation of a biblical Christian leadership model.
References
Akin, D. L. (Ed.). (2014). A theology for the church (Rev. ed.). B&H Publishing.
Giles, K. (2004). The doctrine of the Trinity and subordinationism. Evangelical review of theology, 28, 270-284.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Immutable. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immutable
Migliore, D. L. (2014). Faith seeking understanding (3rd ed.). Eerdmans Publishing.
Mueller, E. (2004). Creation in the New Testament. Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 15(1), 47–62.
Ruffner, B., & Huizing, R. L. (2016). A Trinitarian leadership model: Insights from the apostle Peter. The journal of applied Christian leadership, 10(2), 37-51.
Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
The Lexham hebrew bible. (2012). Lexham Press.
Treier, D. J., & Elwell, W. A. (Eds.). (2017). Evangelical dictionary of theology (3rd ed.). Baker Academic.
Tripp, P. D. (2021). Do you believe? 12 historic doctrines to change your everyday life. Crossway.
Wenham, G. J. (1987). Word biblical commentary: Genesis (Vol. 1). Word Books.
Williams, D. T. (2014). The Spirit in creation. Scottish journal of theology, 67(1), 1-14.